1974 - Trust Annual Report 1972
How will Winchester stand when the local government changes come into force ? This is a question which is of great concern to the Preservation Trust. The eyesores greeting us in so many towns is often blamed on local councillors, but they have little experience of planning and architectural matters and must depend on the guidance of local government officials. The question is whether the new Councils will provide a better service than hitherto. The radical proposals for local government reform certainly provide a golden opportunity.
The publication of the Bill last November, however, gives rise to some considerable doubts. Hopes had been raised that planning would become an integrated whole, but now it seems that the Government has conceded the preparation of local plans to the Districts without any requirements for joint staffing or supervisory role for the County authorities.
The County Councils' Association was quick to point out that scarce specialist staff would have to be spread over nearly 400 planning authorities instead of 141. The representatives of the Districts, not unnaturally took the opposite view since it gave the existing officers a chance of maintaining their positions undisturbed under the new set up. So it seems that the opportunity for re-structuring the service may be lost. It is plainly the duty of Amenity Societies to insist on a management solution which ensures a co-ordinated approach to problems of preservation and development. The smaller authorities will not be able to bear the cost of a separate planning and architectural department, but a solution could be found by appointing a chief officer taking responsibility for the provision of advice and perhaps with an agency arrangement with the County Council. In the larger Councils the Government has rightly insisted on a local analysis of objectives bringing together all the environmental services to ensure maximum efficiency.
To be fully effective there must be close co-operation between the administration of building regulations and the direction of planning and building-design. It is only the close co-ordination of these services which can improve the quality of advice which the councillors will receive. It is essential that we have in Winchester a person who will be equipped in every way to guide and control the local environment—now recognised as a crucial political issue.
While reform is necessary it has to be remembered that the hopes of reformers are seldom fully realised and events often take a turn which was not foreseen.